Editorial Team

Margaret Gregson

Margaret Gregson is Professor of Vocational Education at the University of Sunderland, UK, and Director of the University’s Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (SUNCETT). Her research has been influenced by her career as a civil servant engaged in the development of education policy, then as a Senior Lecturer and Director of School of Access Studies in Further Education. Most recently, as a university teacher-educator, she has researched and written extensively on the initial and continuing professional development of teachers, understandings of reflective practice and collaborative approaches to educational improvement through HE-supported practitioner research.

Yvonne Hillier

Yvonne Hillier is Professor of Education at Brighton University, UK. She is a founder member of the national Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN). She has researched teaching and learning in post-compulsory education including basic skills practice, national vocational qualifications, initial teacher training, and work based learning. Her current research involves working with community partners and parent researchers examining the effects of educational regeneration. She is author of Reflective Teaching and Adult and Further Education 3rd edition (2012), All you ever wanted to know about FE Policy (2006), Changing Faces of Adult Literacy, Language and Numeracy (with Mary Hamilton, 2006) and Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Language (edited with Mary Hamilton and Lyn Tett, 2006).

Gert Biesta

Gert Biesta (www.gertbiesta.com) is currently part-time Professor of Education at the Department of Education of Brunel University London, and Visiting Professor (Art Education) at ArtEZ Institute of the Arts, the Netherlands. He previously worked in Luxembourg, Scotland and England, where he was involved in teacher education for Further Education. Together with David James he wrote/edited the book Improving learning cultures in Further Education ( 2007) based on the first large-scale study of the formation and transformation of learning culture in FE in England. His latest book, The Beautiful Risk of Education (2014) won the 2014 Outstanding Book Award of Division B (Curriculum Studies) of the American Educational Research Association.

Sam Duncan

Sam Duncan is Lecturer in Education in the Department of Lifelong and Comparative Education at the UCL Institute of Education, London, UK. Sam taught adult literacy and English as a foreign language before joining the IOE full time in 2008. She is the author of Reading Circles, Novels and Adult Reading Development (2012) and Reading for Pleasure and Reading Circles for Adult Emergent Readers (2014). Sam is currently researching adult reading aloud practices.

Lawrence Nixon

Lawrence Nixon is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland, UK, and Co-Director of the University’s Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (SUNCETT). He completed his undergraduate and PhD studies at the University of Hull, developing a focus on how we make sense together of claims to value and knowledge. In his current role he teaches on the PGCE PCET programme, the Research Development Programme and MA programmes. His research interests are teacher education, pedagogic practice and philosophy of education. This research has included work on topics such as problematizing learning styles, practitioner’s perceptions of education policy, Joint Practice Development and practical wisdom in the classroom.

Trish Spedding

Trish Spedding is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland, UK, and a Co- Director of the University’s Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (SUNCETT). Her research has been influenced by working in schools, further education colleges and higher education. She is responsible for supporting curricular reform and development on initial teacher education programmes where she is Programme Leader for the full time Professional Graduate Certificate in Education for Post Compulsory Education and Training. Her research interests include supporting practitioner research through Joint Practice Development.

Paul Wakeling

Paul Wakeling has been Principal of Havering Sixth Form College since August 2006. He has worked in Post-16 education since 1993 and started his career as an English teacher. Paul’s particular interest is in asking: what leadership and management is best suited to improving the educational culture in colleges, schools and other educational settings? He explores this theme in ‘Leading and Learning in Challenging Circumstances’ (with Fiona Mackay) in Challenging Professional Learning, (edited by Sue Crowley, 2014.). Paul also explores this theme through contributions to various leadership programmes including the ‘Aspiring Principal and Senior Leadership Programme for the Learning & Skills Improvement Service and his work as an Associate for Warwick Business School, UK.